SARASOTA, Fla. – Church of the Redeemer will host Night to Shine 2023, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, on Friday, Feb. 10, from 6-9 p.m. This prom-night experience celebrating people with special needs will be held simultaneously at churches around the world. Redeemer is in the heart of downtown Sarasota at 222 S. Palm Ave. This will be the first Night to Shine held in the City of Sarasota.
Redeemer will host approximately 80 people with special needs, ages 14 and up, for Night to Shine. Every guest will enter the complimentary event on a red carpet as a friendly crowd gives them a warm welcome. Guests will receive the royal treatment, including hair and makeup, shoe shining, a limousine ride, corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, dancing, and prom favors. Toward the end of the night, every guest will be crowned king or queen of the prom. Over 175 volunteers from Redeemer and the community will help make the night possible.
“I’m so excited Night to Shine 2023 will be back in-person!” said Tim Tebow, founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation. “All around the world, individuals with special needs are going to be celebrated like they should be. We’ve been able to adapt over the last couple years but we can’t wait to be back together in person to cheer for every guest as they walk the red carpet, dance the night away with their friends, crown them as a king or queen of the prom and most importantly, tell every single one of them that their life has purpose and they are loved by us and the God of this universe.”
As sponsor of Night to Shine, the Tim Tebow Foundation provides each host church with the 2023 Night to Shine Planning Manual, guidance and support from a Tim Tebow Foundation staff member, the opportunity to apply for grants, and access to planning resources that will assist them in creating an unforgettable night for their honored guests. The foundation also offers ongoing disability ministry resources through Shine On, a ministry that equips the global church and families living with disability with innovative resources, training, and programs.
Night to Shine launched in 2015 with 44 host churches and 15,000 volunteers honoring more than 7,000 guests. In February 2020, 721 host churches and 215,000 volunteers came together to celebrate 110,000 guests with special needs. Over the past two years, Night to Shine adapted during the pandemic to present a virtual Night to Shine, celebrating thousands of honored guests through a virtual video experience and socially distanced Shine Thru drive-thru events.
ABOUT CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER
Church of the Redeemer is a church in the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Redeemer is a growing parish in downtown Sarasota with more than 2,900 members. The parish is known for its focus on worship, preaching, music, faith formation, community outreach, youth, and families. In 2022, Redeemer gave over $500,000 to nonprofits in Sarasota and throughout the world. For more information about Church of the Redeemer, visit RedeemerSarasota.org.
ABOUT TIM TEBOW FOUNDATION
The Tim Tebow Foundation exists to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. This mission is being fulfilled every day through 16 initiatives in the fields of orphan care and prevention, special needs, children with profound medical needs, and anti-human trafficking. To learn more about how the Tim Tebow Foundation is serving the world’s most vulnerable and sharing God’s love by fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves, visit TimTebowFoundation.org. For more information about Night to Shine, visit TimTebowFoundation.org/Night-To-Shine.